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Old 28th Jan 2019, 10:36 am   #1
JimAttrill
Retired Dormant Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
Posts: 2
Default Inherited Barlow-Wadley XCR-30 with FM

Hi all, this is my first post on this forum. I live in Johannesburg South Africa where the BW radio comes from.
My Father-in-law who was French (d. 2010) worked for Radio South Africa French service broadcasting to the north as there are few French speakers in South Africa although quite a few nowadays mainly from the DRC.
I believe he knew Dr. Wadley and he used to use this radio to listen to his own channel on short wave. I don't think he ever used the FM receiver.
This radio is a late model serial no 17728. It has been lying around in a garage for a few years now, luckily with the batteries removed.
I have just switched it on and the FM reception is excellent even though the original whip aerial broke off long ago. I remember my FIL using a piece of wire indoors. I am using a 15" piece of wire at the moment.
The external case will need some cleaning and one of the tuning knobs is also missing this is the 'clarify SSB' control.
What I would like to know is how long was the standard whip aerial? I have read the specs that I can find and the length is not mentioned.
I am a bit of a newbie to radio although I do remember servicing an Armstrong Whitworth Argosy E1 back in the late sixties which had a RACAL RA17 radio fitted which seems to have the same circuitry as the BW. But I was not a radio person then being an engine fitter!
Later I owned a JRC 505 which was a lovely radio unfortunately stolen in a burglary and not replaced.
I now own a small Sangean radio which must be 30 years old now and an Amstrad 6011 which doesn't seem to receive anything at all. Anyway it looks pretty. I was hoping to use it for the air band.
The BW has a plug for an external aerial and a a ground or I can just use wire into the remains of the broken whip aerial.
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